


Who Cares About Christmas?

by Devona_Dil



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teen Titans (Animated Series) Setting, Families of Choice, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 13:52:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18053729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devona_Dil/pseuds/Devona_Dil
Summary: “Look, I know we don’t really do Christmas as the Titans, but maybe we can go for it this year?” Neil said softly, “We can do the whole tree and presents thing?”Andrew didn’t say anything, and so Neil let him be, and continued making breakfast. The silence Andrew and Neil share is a living, fluid thing. Sometimes it was static and fraught with sexual tension (at least on Neil’s end), and sometimes it was like it is now, comfortable and contemplative.“It’s looking quiet on the crime front, so maybe this would be the perfect time to stop for a second, and relax, celebrate,” Neil said, plating up the food he’d made onto massive platters.Andrew scoffed, “What would be the point?”Dealing with threats to the city... they're the best. But, letting those closest to them become something more than just teammates? That's where the problem lies.It's a good job a certain lovable kid showed up in time to kickstart this team becoming a family...





	Who Cares About Christmas?

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fic for the AFTG Reverse, and I've loved working on it! It's been super fun writing the AFTG characters as superheroes!
> 
> Please show some love for the amazing [artist](https://mr-im-fine.tumblr.com/post/183351175427/had-the-pleasure-of-working-with) I worked with! I love their art - it's so wonderful and colourful!
> 
>  
> 
> For anyone who's a fan of the show, this is who the AFTG characters are in the Teen Titans 'verse:
> 
> Kevin = Cyborg  
> Renee = Robin  
> Nicky = Beast Boy  
> Neil = Starfire  
> Andrew = Raven  
>  
> 
> Enjoy! <3

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my arch nemesis- nemises… the Teen Titans!”

“Yeah…” Neil looked over at Renee, who just shrugged her shoulders, “We’ve totally met before…”

This wasn’t exactly what Neil thought they’d be walking into when they heard reports of gunfire, bright lights and crashes inside the abandoned office building they’d just stormed. It looked more like a 15-year-old kid with floppy golden hair had gone nuts in a costume store (favouring an eye-catching sunshine-yellow) and was surrounded by various flashing homemade gizmos.

“And I will defeat you with my megadon ray of destruction-”

Renee held her hands up and started walking towards the kid.

“Look, erm,” Renee faltered.

The man pouted, “My name’s Jeremy- er, The Thunder-Mightor! The greatest villain in all of New York! …don’t you remember me?” he asked, shoulders folding in a little bit.

Nicky jumped forward then, landing in a little crouch in front of him, “No! Of course we remember you! Don’t we guys?” he said, turning around and gesturing at the rest of them.

Kevin raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, and after gearing up for a fight with an actual villain Neil could understand.

With a pleading look from his bleeding-heart of a cousin, Andrew sighed and said, “Yeah, you’re the guy who tried to take over the world, right?” he said, voice flat and sarcasm heavy.

Neil shot him a grin, “Yeah, and enslave humanity, wasn’t that you?”

“Yes! Yes, that was me! I knew you guys would remember me,” he grinned, then shook his head, “I mean of course you remember me! I am the most formidable enemy you have ever faced!”

“That’s right Jeremy, the most formidable,” Nicky said, with one of his happy smiles that made you think of puppies and rainbows. “Why don’t you show us what you’ve been up to here?”

“Right! I mean, I’ve been working pretty hard on it, come come,” he said, throwing his ‘megadon’ to the side, and apparently forgetting about his world domination plans or whatever, as well as the fact that the Teen Titans were literally a band of vigilante hero’s dead set on the exact opposite of that.

Kevin gave Renee a flat look, but after a shove he sighed and walked with her to look at whatever Jeremy had cooked up in his bedroom, or whatever. Nicky bouncing along after them, oohing and ahhing at all the thingamabob’s lying around the place – one of them that lit up like gunfire but seemed to be harmless.

Neil walked over to Andrew, who was lounging back on a desk, his deep purple cape sprawled open to reveal his black ensemble: a sleek tank top, arm bands tight to his skin, his toned thighs clad in black jeans, all-in-all showing off his impressive muscle collection. It was truly a sight Neil could appreciate.

“So, what do you think?” Neil said, gesturing at the kid in front of them.

Andrew looked up, his hazel eyes all the brighter for the black mask that surrounded them and his ever-present hood, “Of what? The wanna-be Evil Pre-schooler who dragged me out of the house at ass’o’clock in the morning for a lesson in what happens when poor self-esteem, social isolation and unidentified genius meet, all probably folded in a cape of an under-appreciative home life and supreme lack of any sort of educational challenges... that?”

Neil huffed; Andrew was always the most perceptive of their motley bunch.

“Or did you mean my cousin who has less self-preservation than sense,” Andrew said, his fists clenched on the table, “of which we both know he has practically none. The cousin who after one sad-puppy look, was already forgetting the massive weapon that kid was holding and rushing to coddle and reassure.”

Neil lightly knocked his hand against Andrew’s own – he knew that Andrew usually showed his love with rage and violence (something Renee was trying to knock out of him) and that Nicky was the only member of his family that bothered to stick around. Well, family by blood. And while Neil could agree with Andrew about Nicky’s naivety, he also knew that he would always have Andrew at his back, protecting them all, and if Nicky could still have that sort of faith in humanity, then that optimism should be protected, especially considering their line of work.

Neil pulled his hand away, “I meant the kid.”

Andrew, not having acknowledged Neil’s touch at all, looked over at the scene in front of him: Nicky was bouncing all around the place poking at lights and buttons, Kevin had cracked a small smile and looked to be pointing and talking about one of the kid’s many machines, and Renee had a look on her face that Andrew knew only too well.

With a sigh, “Yeah,” Andrew replied, “Looks like we’ll be adopting another stray”.

A slight smile made its way onto Neil’s mouth, mirroring Renee’s; although Andrew had berated Nicky’s automatic trust in Jeremy, in Andrew-speak, that was practically a ringing endorsement. Apparently, Andrew saw some potential in the kid too.

As Neil watched Jeremy light up under all the attention he was receiving, he felt a whoosh of air next to him. Andrew was gone. He’d probably portled away, the absolute emotion-phobe.

Neil shook his head slightly, and made his way over to the group, knowing that Andrew did not do any sort of group bonding - not that Renee doesn’t try to make him participate when she can – and now that there was no reason to fight, he was already outta there.

“So, you guys, Andrew headed home, and now that we know that the world won’t be ending, at least any time soon, don’t you think we should head home too?”

Neil was directing the question at Renee, but even he could see the smile drop off Jeremy’s face.

“Oh, oh yeah,” Jeremy stuttered out, having lost any of the bravado he had earlier on, “Yeah,” he swallowed.

Geez, Neil thought he could see tears building in the kid’s eyes. Oh yeah, the team was definitely going to be one person bigger after this morning. Andrew was definitely right, he needed some people who cared around him. Luckily enough, Neil was surrounded by the most caring people he knew.

“Well, you’re coming with us of course!” Nicky exclaimed.

“Wait-what?” Jeremy said, eyes wide and hopeful.

“We must take you back to our base,” Kevin said, one of his big steel hands on the kid’s shoulder. “You have got to show us how you made all your wonderful tech,” he said with a small smile.

Neil rolled his fire-green eyes (not that anyone could tell) as the newbie literally started jumping up and down, babbling about all the stuff he’s invented and how he can help the team.

Neil caught eyes with Renee, and they both shared a smile - fighting bad guys was all well and good, but helping people always felt better. Also, with Jeremy on the team, Nicky would have someone as enthusiastic and loud as him. Maybe Neil and Andrew could finally get some peace and quiet around the place-

_CRASH_

Nicky’s apologetic little face popped up from behind one of Jeremy’s machines, “Erm, whoops?” he said, “Don’t worry! I can fix this!”

Cue even more clanging, and Jeremy running around trying to stop him.

Well, at least they’re all having fun, Neil thought with a mental huff. Although not everyone... He turned to look out through the window, with the beginnings of the sun peeking out across the horizon (geez, Jeremy had no chance being a Super Villain, I mean come on! Rule One of villainy is always do your dastardly deeds at night time).

He could see their HQ from here. So, feet lifting off the floor, he used the magic burning inside him to rise above the ground, his auburn hair floating all around him and he glided over to the window.

The rest of the guys turned towards him, “I’ll see you back at base,” Neil said.

“Wait, Neil!” Nicky said, a little innocent grin on his face, “Could you maybe, because you are the best hero in the whole world, consider maybe making us some waffles? For breakfast? I mean, we do have a new member of the team.”

At this, you could have seen Jeremy’s pearly-white beaming smile from space.

“And we do want to make a good impression, right?” he said, batting his green eye lashes.

Neil was already thinking of how long it had been since he’d made a breakfast for the team anyway, but he huffed and sighed and said, “All right then, beast-boy,” with a smile, “I’ll have some waffles ready for you. Don’t take too long or else Andrew will eat them all.”

 

As Neil flew through the window, he could hear cheers from his friends. Rolling his eyes, Neil soared back across their city, watching the streets pass below him. Swooping over rooftops, Neil could see lots of multicoloured twinkle lights glow from windows, ‘Oh yeah,’ Neil thought, ‘It’s Christmas soon’.

Neil was about to fly through the kitchen window of HQ, but after seeing Andrew perched on the balcony, he changed paths, and landed next to him. Maybe, a good Christmas together this year would do everyone some good. Maybe, Andrew would finally let down his hood and actually spend a bit of time with his team without there being a major crisis in the city...

 

 *****

 

Leaning on the balcony of their penthouse apartment, looking over the city, Andrew could see Neil weaving his way through houses. His green aura shone out from him, casting an eerie glow around him. Well, it should have been eerie, but as always, Neil lives to be a man of contradictions. On anyone else, bright glowing green eyes would make a man seem stupid or inhuman, the eyes are the windows to the soul after all, but on Neil… he found a way to show expression through them. Andrew swears he can see Neil roll his eyes sometimes, even though Andrew could not possibly tell.

He is absolutely infuriating.

And the least subtle one of them. Christ, he’s practically peering in the windows he’s flying by. It’s an absolute wonder no-one but Renee had guessed he uses his shadows to protect the team from overly curious eyes.

Andrew blew out the smoke burning his lungs, letting the cold in again, watching Neil get closer still. He’s something, that one. He just turns up one day, skinny and twitchy, as if the devil himself was looking for him; eyes burning like he might have found him already. And oh so fucking beautiful.

Andrew clenched his fists. The cigarette between his fingers fell to the ground.

Without turning to look, Andrew felt Neil come to land next to him, a faint buzzing emanating from him, like an old lightbulb, if you listened carefully. Andrew looked over when he crouched down, and came back up with Andrew’s discarded cigarette.

Watching Neil bring that crumpled cigarette to his lips and pull life from it… Andrew ripped it from Neil’s lips and stomped on it. And instead of kicking up a storm, Neil had the absolute gall to smirk as if he knew Andrew would do that. Screw infuriating, Neil was barely worth keeping around. Then Neil blew the smoke in his mouth into Andrew’s face and he just couldn’t help breathing in. Feeling the warmth in Neil’s breathe mixed with smoke.

Andrew let out a forceful sigh.

Why couldn’t Renee bring home a nice girl? Then Andrew wouldn’t have this problem. But _no_ , it had to be him; with a smirk Andrew couldn’t help but want to wipe off… with his mouth.

“Renee will probably make you quit smoking… at least in front of the kid,” Neil said. Andrew’s eyes snapped back to Neil’s. God, the idiot’s probably right. Renee’s been giving him little disappointed frowns, when Andrew stepped outside to smoke; she’s probably been just waiting for an opportunity to force his hand. Joining a group of idiot’s hell bent on saving the world was really starting to look like a poor move on Andrew’s part.

Then again…

Neil had leaned his head back to gaze up at the stars, showing off that long pale neck, something he was prone to do now and again. Andrew thinks it could be because he came from the stars. His fiercely green eyes, and ethereal beauty do give credence to the theory.

But, then again… he could just like the look of the stars. Turning his gaze out onto the city below, dawn breaking over the cityscape, Andrew couldn’t help but grit his teeth. Living with Neil, and the rest of the goody-tooshoes, has left him soft. He never used to speculate about anything. The world under his feet, the shadows in his fists, the night and the day, and again and again. The things he can feel and touch, pain and sugar on his tongue.

Nothing else mattered.

He cursed Renee for offering him something better. He felt Neil’s buzz of living electricity next to him, and he could feel himself changing. The hate in his heart no longer warmed him… something else was creeping in.

 

**

 

Neil looked over at Andrew, who was now sulking with his arms crossed on the balcony, not even responding to Neil anymore. Who knew the great god of self-control would get in a hissy fit about not having any more cigarettes? Though, Neil supposes, if quitting was so easy everyone would do it. So, maybe Neil should cut him some slack.

“I’m just going start up breakfast – I’m doing waffles for the gang,” Neil said, moving away, “And Renee just bought a new bottle of maple syrup.”

Neil thought he heard a small huff as he pulled open the slide-away doors, stepping directly into the kitchen. Smiling, he let the fire inside him grow a little brighter and used his energy to pull all the ingredients he needed together on the countertop. He decided to do fresh mango (his favourite), waffles (Nicky’s favourite), scrambled eggs (because Kevin is crazy and that's his favourite), bacon, croissants and jam (which everyone loves, especially Renee) and he pulled out some double chocolate brownie ice cream out the freezer. Because if there’s one thing that Andrew will never say no to, it’s his favourite ice cream.

Smirking to himself, Neil put some homemade chocolate fudge sauce that he had made earlier in the microwave to warm up. Using a little wisp of energy, Neil made the smell slide out the kitchen and around to Andrew.

Scowl firmly on his face, Andrew stomped his way into the kitchen, not so subtly looking for the source of the aroma. Even Neil was holding himself back from just drinking it from the bowl.

“So, even the mighty Andrew couldn't resist my fudge sauce, eh?” Neil smirked, cracking eggs into a massive bowl.

“I’m surprised your head can fit on your shoulders, with all that ego filling it with steam”

“Oh ha ha,” Neil laughed.

Andrew could harp on about many things, but Neil’s cooking was one thing that Andrew could never criticise. It was divine. Whatever god is up there decided to give Neil a cooking ability that rivalled some the best chefs in the world, and a multitasking ability to boot. Right now, Neil was making the whisk beat the eggs into a fluffy consistency, over on the other counter eggs and flour and sugar were combining themselves into a thick batter for the waffles.

While Neil concentrated on telling the knife to cut his mango into slices not squares, he looked up and noticed Andrew was looking at him with such intensity, it made a shiver spill down his spine and all his baking utensils wobble in the air. Not that Neil did anything about that, he just stared back. Something about Andrew made him not want to back down, not really because of some sense of competitiveness... or maybe it was that. But, he didn’t feel scared at all, just safe in those amber eyes.

“It’s Christmas in a few days, Andrew” Neil found himself saying.

At this, Andrew dropped his gaze, and clenched his jaw.

“I don’t give a fuck, _Neil_ ,” Andrew sneered.

Getting whiplash in a conversation with Andrew wasn’t exactly new, and Neil knows that Andrew doesn’t usually partake in any celebrations really, but _geez_ , it wasn’t really worth the vitriol in which he said Neil’s name. He didn’t _do_ anything. He wondered if Andrew wanted him to say something else. But then, what would he say? Neil knew that there was a spark between them, and that he could feel himself opening up for Andrew, but the reverse couldn’t be said about Andrew. Neil had known him for 2 years now, and the most personal thing he knew about the man is that he likes to wear black and eat sweet things. As much as Neil wants to kiss and touch, to share the fire inside him and feel the shadows Andrew has in his core, Neil isn’t prepared to lose everything he has here with the Titans. Because he knows that he can’t be with Andrew unless he can know him… even just a little. He won’t be able to keep living and working here with him, knowing what he could have if only Andrew would open up a little. If only… But, Andrew is an impermeable force, and Neil won’t let himself fall for someone who can’t let himself be seen. Maybe one day. Maybe one day soon…

“Look, I know we don’t really do Christmas as the Titans, but maybe we can go for it this year?” Neil said softly, “We can do the whole tree and presents thing?”

Andrew didn’t say anything, and so Neil let him be, and continued making breakfast. The silence Andrew and Neil share is a living, fluid thing. Sometimes it was static and fraught with sexual tension (at least on Neil’s end), and sometimes it was like it is now, comfortable and contemplative.

“It’s looking quiet on the crime front, so maybe this would be the perfect time to stop for a second, and relax, celebrate,” Neil said, plating up the food he’d made onto massive platters.

Andrew scoffed, “What would be the point?”

 

Just after he’d muttered his pessimistic point, Neil heard footsteps thundering up the stairs, and the team piled into the kitchen. Laughter and chatter instantly filled the kitchen and Neil couldn’t help but smile. It had been a while since the mood was this high within the team. Maybe the addition of the kid would really turn things around.

“Neil! This looks absolutely incredible!” Nicky exclaimed.

As much as Neil would like to write off Nicky's comment as him simply being his enthusiastic self, Neil ended up blushing anyway, and leaned forward to ruffle Nicky’s hair in thanks.

“Yeah! You made all of this in the time it took us to get over here?” Jeremy laughed, incredulously.

Neil simply winked back.

Jeremy’s eyes were lit up at the spread in front of him, and Renee and Kevin gave him soft smiles. It felt good to be the centre of attention for something like this. Providing for his team and making them smile with his good cooking, not just showing off with his abilities which he never had a choice in. His powers were always there, but this, baking and cooking for his family was something he chose to do.

While everyone tucked into the breakfast, Neil looked over at Andrew and thought about what he said… ‘what _would_ be the point?’

Why do a Christmas? Why bother cooking and decorating a tree just to pull it down later. Why spend time here at HQ when they could be out there saving people? He was born with his powers, and while he didn’t ask for them, being with his team had made Neil realise that he had a duty to use them for good.

Then he looked around. He zoned back in to hear the laughter surrounding him and the relaxed atmosphere of their home. He saw Andrew sharing his maple syrup with Renee, Kevin smiling indulgently at Nicky who’s showing off to Jeremy, shifting his features into different animals. At the moment, he has the nose of an elephant and the eyes of a mouse. Jeremy was laughing and piling up food onto his plate without worrying if he’s allowed, as he should feel.

Neil realised that it had been much too long since they'd relaxed this much, and that they were people too, not just heroes. Running themselves ragged would leave them broken in the end, and taking a break was actually allowed.

With how surprising it was to see his team so happy, Neil realised a proper Christmas would be good for all of them.

Having the newbie here has made Neil realise the team had lacked a bit of spirit until today, but that doesn’t even matter anymore. The past is in the past, and now Neil is on board with the whole ‘let’s be closer as teammates’ train that Renee has been pushing for ages, he can get started on his plan.

Christmas would be good for all of them, bonding all round.

 

 

Breakfast wound down while Neil was stuck in his head planning the day ahead.

“I’ve got to head off to school soon,” Jeremy said with a little sad smile, “This has been the greatest breakfast of my life,” he said with the honesty of a teenager who legitimately believes in what he’s saying.

Everyone turned and smiled at him, watching him pick up his backpack (that Neil hadn’t even noticed he had) and rock on his feet, biting his lip.

Neil looked over at Renee and quirked his eyebrow in question, to which she nodded back.

“Bud,” Neil said, looking over at the kid, “Stop worrying. This isn’t a onetime only breakfast. As long as you’ve learned your lesson about raising hell and destroying property?” At this Jeremy nods his head frantically. “Then you’ll be welcome back here.”

“Here, this is the number for the emergency Titan phone,” Neil said, handing over a scrap of paper with their number scrawled on it.

“Have you got a phone?” He asked, and with the looks everyone at the table was giving him, it was a stupid question.

Jeremy just laughed though, “Yeah! Here’s my number too!”

And when he started leaving, he said quickly with a little shy smile, “Maybe we could hang out again sometime?” And then scurried away and into their lift.

Nicky made this little screeching sound after the ding-dong for the lift told them Jeremy had left.

“Oh my god! He is absolutely adorable! I love him! Renee, please please can we keep him?”

Renee placed her hand over Nicky’s and said,

“I’ve already done a background check on him and he’s come up clean. No parents, just an aunt who doesn’t pay too much attention to him. And for 15 he seems to be a tech genius by all standards. But," she said with a stern look, "Jeremy is absolutely not to join us as a full Titan until he’s at least 16 and not a day sooner. If he wants to join us after that, it will have to be because of an informed decision on his part. He needs to know what we do, and how we do it.”

“What! How long do we have to wait until he is 16? However long it is, it’s too long. He’s someone who wants friends, Renee!” Nicky exclaimed.

At this Renee smiled, “I didn’t say he was banned from HQ, or that we couldn’t befriend him. Just that he’s not going to be going out on dangerous missions where he could get seriously hurt.”

Nicky looked chastised for a second, then perked up.

“You’re right, of course, oh fair leader,” Nicky said, placing an overexaggerated kiss on Renee’s hand. “We’ll just have to be friends until he can be a fully-fledged team member.”

“If he decides to, Nicky,” Renee said with her ever-patient smile.

“Yeah, of course!”

At this, there was a lag in conversation. A silence that was only a few seconds but seemed to stretch out for miles.

Cyborg stood up.

“I’ve got training I should be doing right now,” Kevin said, with his frown firmly back on his face after a brief reprieve this morning, and stomped off.

Neil looked over at Andrew who had been his normal silent self, who locked eyes with him and then abruptly opened up one of his shadows and portled away. A thump in the ceiling let Neil know that he was in his room in the floor above.

Nicky shuffled a bit on his chair, then grabbed a leftover waffle.

“Breakfast was nice, Neil,” Nicky said with a small smile, “Thank you for making it for us.”

Then he bound off and Neil heard the television start up, blaring explosions and noise from the get-go.

Renee started clearing up their plates and putting leftovers in the fridge.

“You’ll get wrinkles you know,” Renee said out of nowhere.

Neil frowned, “What?”

Renee laughed quietly, “From frowning so much,” she said, pushing her eyebrows into an exaggerated frown.

Neil relaxed the muscles of his face, and yeah, he was definitely frowning.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Neil pushed out a breath. It’s weird… How yesterday he would have sworn that they were the happiest ragtag team of superheroes in the country. But today all he can see are the gaps between them, and how they are all in separate rooms.

“We should do Christmas this year,” Neil said abruptly.

He turned to look at Renee, who had somehow cleaned the whole table and put all the dishes in the dishwasher while he wasn’t paying attention.

She simply smiled knowingly, and said, “You know Neil, I think that would be lovely.”

She walked over and squeezed his shoulder.

“I remember when you first came to us, a frightened little thing forever looking over your shoulder. With a fire so bright within him, he’d burn you if you got too close”

Neil’s eyes snapped to hers, he could feel his breathing quicken. They didn’t talk about his past. Ever. He was a different man now, and he doesn’t want to know what Renee thought of him back then. He knows he was pitiful, but dangerous, and he has no idea why Renee even let him stay (but he’s pathetically grateful).

“It took some time, but eventually we got some meat on your bones... but you didn’t open up. Sarcasm became your defence- that and flying away.”

Neil looked down, ashamed. He knows how much he owes Renee and their team, and how he hasn’t done much for them.

With a cool touch, he felt Renee’s hand gently cupping his chin, bringing his face up to look him in the eye.

“But I knew,” she said with a warm glint in her eyes, “I knew how important you were, and how important you would become for this team. Not just when we’re fighting and saving lives, because we are all brilliant when we’re fighting, but with bringing this team together.”

Neil felt his throat clog up and his eyes burn more than usual,

“I’m so sorry it's taken me this long,” Neil whispered, “I’ve known I need to give back to this team who took me in… to you.”

“Oh, Neil,” Renee said with her soft smile, “You don’t owe us anything. We’re all in this together, and you haven’t taken too long at all. You’ve been healing, just like the rest of us.”

Renee stepped back, “And anyway, I should have thought of getting us a young mentee ages ago – I can see it now – we’re all going to be big brothers to that kid. He’s going to have the best family in the cosmos.”

Neil laughed wetly and tugged on his sleeve. He didn’t need the words spoken out loud to know that she was breaking the tension for him… and that they don’t have a lot of family by blood to speak of between them. Especially Renee.

Neil took a breath and smiled at Renee, who smiled back.

Here, this team has got each other. Why the hell would they need anyone else?

 

Neil stepped out onto the balcony to take a deep breath and look down at their city.

He wants them to be a family. A proper one. And it’s going to start with a good Christmas.

He spent the next half an hour watching the traffic jams of morning rush hour, and planned his day.

With a goal in mind, he nodded to himself and set out.

 

Andrew could feel the buzz under his skin as soon as Neil came back into the building. He couldn’t remember when it started. When he could feel Neil like an itch, like his whole body is so attuned to him that static dances on his skin.

He wonders when Neil stopped being just a sarcastic little shit who poured all his anger into fights but flew away from them whenever they stopped.

He can feel their team shifting – it started long before the kid showed up this morning, but it seemed like he was a catalyst for them to start talking again… for Neil to open up a little bit more.

The fire in his eyes finally looks like it’s present and alive.

_Bumpf_

Andrew sighed and portled down to the kitchen to see what the idiot was up to now.

It turns out, food shopping… lots of it.

“Hiya, Andrew!” Neil gasped, dumping loads of shopping bags onto the kitchen counter.

Andrew just raised his eyebrows, clearly looking at the massive quantity of food that Neil had bought.

Neil just smiled easily and laughed, “Yeah, I’ve decided to do a big meal for us tomorrow.”

Andrew could barely keep his eyes of that smile. They come so rarely to Neil outside of a battle (and in a battle it’s all crazed smiles). His eyes flickered up and found Neil already looking at him, sun glancing off his bronze skin.

Andrew clenched his jaw and stomped away. He had no interest in standing in the kitchen while Neil put away groceries.

 

 

Neil watched Andrew stomp off, and up the stairs. And as much as Neil would love to say he didn’t watch Andrew’s arse in his tight black jeans, alas, he cannot.

No matter how moody and grumpy Andrew can be, usually for no apparent reason, Neil still wants him.

Neil let out an explosive sigh. Nope. Not thinking of Andrew in _that_ way today. Today is for prepping everything ready for the big day.

After everything was packed up in the fridge and cupboards, he looked at the clock and saw that it was quarter past twelve. Perfect.

 

Wind buffeting through his hair, Neil flew over the city and found Jeremy’s school (he’d pinched the address from Renee’s desk, not that it had been hard as it was waiting for him on a sticky note… as if she’d known he would need it).

Landing in a little crouch on the roof, Neil looked around for Jeremy’s golden hair on the playground, but didn’t see him anywhere.

Finally, after peering in a lot of windows around the school he found him in a little D+T room, off to the side with electric stuff surrounding him and a computer showing lots of… numbers and stuff (Neil was not tech savvy).

He ratted on the window pane between them and bless his little soul, Jeremy jumped a mile and dropped his sandwich.

Looking worriedly around, he saw Neil, and then his face broke out in a massive grin.

“Neil!” Jeremy exclaimed.

He gestured inside so Neil snuck in, sidestepping the many wires all over the place.

“Hiya, Jeremy. How’s it going?” Neil asked, perching on the one small space available to him next to a computer monitor.

Jeremy bounced on his feet a bit (so much like a puppy).

“I’m doing good! I mean I’m working on the specs for a nano-powered shield and I think I'm really close to a break through! But in school they want us to wire a circuit board and connect a light to a battery,” Jeremy said incredulously. His face telling Neil exactly what he thought of that.

“It’s like they think we’re infants! I mean I could do that in my sleep,” he proclaimed.

He opened his mouth as if he was going to say more, but then he looked up at Neil, flushed and looked down to study his shoes.

He brought his hand up to rub at the back of his neck and said, “I mean, sorry, yeah, you probably didn’t come here to listen to me rant about school… Erm, is everything okay? I mean, I can guess why you’re here and you don’t have to worry about a thing.”

Neil frowned and he continued quickly, “I wouldn’t tell a soul about you guys! I would never break the confidence of the Teen Titans. If- Even if you guys don’t want me back, I would take anything I have leant about you to the grave-”

Neil started chuckling, “Stop, stop, I’m not here to scare you into keeping out secrets. I’m pretty sure Renee did a background check on you before you even left for Titan HQ, and if you had anything to hide you would never have been invited up.”

“Oh.”

“You’ve nothing to worry about there,” Neil smiled, “In fact I’ve come here to ask you for a favour.”

After Neil described what he needed, Jeremy’s eyes lit up, and he nodded fiercely.

“I can do that!”

“Excellent,” Neil said, handing over his Teen Titans emergency debit card (and _yes_ this is an emergency).

His plan was slowly coming together.

 

“Where have you been?” Nicky asked, quickly shifting from a puma to his regular beast-boy body.

“Nowhere,” Neil said with a grin.

Pouting, Nicky harrumphed and launched himself back down onto the couch and continued watching his show.

Ruffling Nicky’s hair, Neil continued past him to head down to Kevin’s floor that contained his massive training room. But before he started down the stairs, he looked back over his shoulder at Nicky. Someone who Neil always seen as a ball of energy, one that could never be contained.

And he saw him sitting on the couch, fidgeting and staring listlessly at the screen…

He looked lonely.

 _How could someone be lonely in a house full of people?_ Neil thought. But all he had to do was think back and acknowledge that empty space where laughter and family nights should have been. It’s crazy how fast a day can turn around and suddenly your whole view about something can change.

Neil just flies away when he wants to get out – he’s never really been around anyone his own age anyway, so what would he have needed friends for? What would he have even done with them before?

But Nicky’s not like him – he’s a social creature. It’s never really occurred to Neil how Nicky feels being surrounded by people who barely give him the time of day.

Taking in a deep breath, Neil continued his way down the stairs.

It’s a good job he’s getting these realisations at the same time as he’s doing something to change them.

 

“Hey, Kevin, could I borrow you for a few hours, it’s important.”

 

“You know, when you said it was important, I assumed it was something actually important. Something to do with the Titans… not _this_ ,” Kevin drawled.

“Come on, Kevin. Get in the spirit, this _is_ important.” Neil said, sitting on Kevin’s shoulder as he walks through the thick forest.

Silence.

Neil leans over to look at Kevin’s face from his upside-down position, and poked at his frown.

“Alright, think of it like this: Renee is always wanting us to do team bonding type stuff, and this will be the best way to bond as a team,” Neil stated.

Kevin paused, “I do not see how that could be true.”

“Oh hush, you old grump, just help me. Ah, here we are, this is perfect,” Neil said, jumping down off Kevin’s shoulders.

They both stood in front of a beautiful of pine tree… actually they stood in a forest full of pine trees, but this is the _one_. The perfect tree.

“Ok, seen as how you are the muscles in our dangerous duo, would you do me a solid and cut this tree down for me, Cyborg?” Neil asked.

Kevin sighed and transformed his metal hand into a saw blade and swung it in a large arc until it collided with the tree trunk.

“Careful,” Neil exclaimed, jumping out of the way, “You could have killed me.”

Kevin simply smirked at finished off sawing down the tree.

“Now what?”

“Now we take it back to HQ, and get our Christmas spirit on,” Neil said, with a little shimmy, dancing ahead of Cyborg, and imagining the laughter of this morning ringing throughout their tower block for all to hear.

As they carried on through the forest, a thought occured to Neil.

“Hey, Kevin?”

“Yeah?”

“Does it bother you when we call you Cyborg?” Neil asked, with a tilt to his head. Sometimes it just rolled off the tongue and he hadn’t honestly thought about whether that would hurt Kevin or not.

Kevin stopped and looked at him steadily, dropping the tree on the dusty ground beneath them and continued to stare at him. Swallowing, Neil thought back to every time he had thrown out that name… that word that, now Neil was actually thinking about it, was probably the worst thing he could possibly call Kevin.

Kevin huffed, “Quit looking so scared, Rabbit. It’s just strange is all, for the resident runaway to be concerned at all whether he’s hurting my feelings”

Neil almost did a double take. Kevin was a man of few words and almost never spoke more words than he had to. Then Neil absorbed what Kevin had said and frowned.

Kevin laughed a little, “No, Rabbit, it doesn’t bother me that I am known as Cyborg. As much as it might surprise you, Renee found me a therapist, with whom I talk with every week. It has been, and is, incredibly helpful for me.”

Surprised would be putting it mildly – Kevin was one of the least vocal people he had ever known. To think he had actually been talking this whole time… Well, it just solidified in Neil’s head how little he knew his teammates. And how important it was to change that.

Kevin picked up the fallen tree by the trunk and started dragging it along slowly as they made there way to the entrance of this pine tree forest.

“It took me a long time, Neil, don’t mistake me. Back at-” Kevin shuddered then started again, “Back at the Raven’s nest I was mocked and jeered at. He tore me apart again and again, and every time his Uncle would put me back together again… but _wrong_.

Neil held his tongue as Kevin began his story, it being one he had never had the honour of hearing.

“No matter how much I screamed or cried, they would never stop – they’d just add more and more metal to my body when Riko carved me more of _me_ away. Then they’d keep me hidden away, a freak not allowed to be seen by the world.

“But,” Kevin said with an uneven smile, “Andrew got me out of that place, and Renee saved me. It’s taken me nearly five years, but I don’t flinch when I see myself in the mirror. I don’t hide myself away and pray for death. And…

“I have you.”

“Me?” Neil said, pointing an unbelieving finger at his chest. Neil wasn’t anything special.

Kevin laughed, a little louder and fuller this time.

“Yes, _you_. You, and Andrew and Nicky and Renee. I’ve got people in my life who would miss me if I was gone, who would attend my funeral and actually care.”

Neil smiled.  He knew the feeling. Finding this group of people really was the best thing to have ever happened to him. And by the look on Kevin’s face, he felt it too.

 

When they got back to the house, they shared a small smile and Neil convinced Kevin to sneak the tree in through one of the back windows, using his rocket shoes to get him up to the 32nd floor.

Rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, Neil said, “Thank you for helping me today, I know I haven’t exactly been the best of friends to you, to anyone really, so you could have rightfully just said no. But, you didn’t, you helped me when you didn’t need to – so yeah, thanks.”

Geez, this whole ‘caring about his team’ thing is making Neil super awkward.

Kevin just snorted though, and dragged Neil into a rough hug. Neil imagined embracing a man who was half metal would not be a comfortable experience, but getting a hug from Kevin? He couldn’t think of anything nicer.

Neil looked up into Kevin’s bright brown eyes and thought _friend_ for the first time since knowing the man. Something he hadn’t thought he would ever have.

And because he was feeling so light in of himself, he decided that keeping that revelation inside would do no good, so he told him.

But before Kevin could respond, he looked over Neil’s shoulders and whatever he saw made his eyebrows crunch together.

 

Turning around Neil caught a glimpse of Nicky’s big sad eyes before he slipped back around the corner and into the living room.

“I’ll leave that to you shall I?” Cyborg asked, laying a warm hand on Neil’s shoulder.

“Yeah," Neil said, "we’ll be fine.”

 

Nicky had put on his headphones and was hunched over his phone, furiously tapping away. His entire posture screamed ‘Leave me alone!’. And yet, if Neil had learnt one thing today, it was that he didn’t know his team as well as he had thought. And whereas before, he would have left Nicky to deal with whatever himself, assured in the belief that he would bounce back to Nicky levels of energy in no time, today he knew he had to step in.

“Nicky…” Neil said, poking his shoulder, to which he turned even further away.

“Nicky, Nicky, Nicky~” Neil whined, smiling and moving to tickle as much of Nicky as he could reach. And sure enough, within less than a minute, Nicky was laughing and wiggling, knocking his headphones off.

“Stop!” Nicky cried, laughing so much he fell on the floor, “I’m gonna die.”

“Always so dramatic, Nicky,” Neil said, finally letting the beast-boy up from under his attack.

Gasping, he righted himself and put his phone and stuff to the side.

It’s a funny thing, how someone so full of life, so bursting with natural exuberance was look up at him with such deep tiredness.

“Nicky…” Neil started, wanting to let him know that he didn’t purposefully leave him out of anything, and all his revelations have happened in the last 6 hours.

“No, stop,” he said, standing up, “I don’t want you to feel obligated to talk to me, or say anything you don’t feel. Being here with all of you is enough.”

Neil panicked slightly when he looked like he was about to leave.

“Wait, no, come on, you haven’t heard me out yet. Look, I’ve had a pretty monumental day so far and it’s not even hit 3pm yet. Please, just sit for a sec?”

The speed at which Nicky complied spoke of how starved he was for attention, how easily he can disregard his grievances, and forgive.

Neil took a breath, “Okay,” he said, “I have a plan… for us all to do Christmas together, as a- as a family”

With this, Nicky gasped and bounced up from the sofa.

“Neil! That sounds perfect!”

Laughing a little, Neil had to think why they hadn’t done this before, since it’s making everyone so happy.

“Yeah, I think it’s high time we had some time together as a group, you know? Like Renee’s been wanting since forever.”

Laughing, “Yeah, I would love that, _so_ much Neil,” Nicky said, with such an earnest smile Neil had to lower his eyes.

It’s clearly been ages since someone has done something this nice for Nicky.

“Anyways," Neil said, clearing his throat, "enough talk, we’ve got things to do, if you’d like to help me?”

Jumping up, Nicky practically yelled, “Yes!”

“Right,” Neil said, taking a deep breath, knowing what he was getting himself in for, “Nicky?”

“Yes?” he said, with excitement thrumming in his whole body.

“Let’s go shopping.”

 

 

Several hours later Neil could barely stand, and his ears were ringing, not least from the crowds of holiday shoppers, but Nicky’s ever-increasing descriptions of the boy he’d met in the shops.

“God, Neil, did you see his hands? Gorgeous they were, weren’t they? And his eyes… I could drown in them!”

“Yes, Nicky, he was gorgeous. Now, let’s go put all these presents away.”

Hopefully the gifts would be enough to just show how much the Titans mean to Neil, after all this time.

Neil felt a hand on his shoulder, “They’ll love what we bought them,” Nicky said with a warm smile. “Well, maybe not Andrew but he’ll learn to live with it… especially if you’re the one asking him…” he said with a cheeky grin.

God, how completely obvious had Neil been? Shaking his head, he put the thought out of his mind and gave the bags to Nicky who had promised to wrap them all for tomorrow. They had decided that they could have their Christmas Day on whatever day they wanted, especially since Jeremy would be having one with his aunt on the actual 25th. What did they care what day they ate turkey and opened presents on?

All that mattered was that they were together, and that they were eating turkey and opening presents _together_.

Though by the sounds of things, Nicky already has someone else in mind who he wants to spend his day with.

“ _Erik Klose_. God, what a sexy name. Erik…”

Snapping his fingers in front of Nicky’s face, Neil sighed and reminded Nicky of his promise.

“I know you’ve met the guy of dreams, but this is important to me. I haven’t been the best of teammates, and I want tomorrow to go well.”

Nicky looked to sober up for a second, “Yeah,” he said, picking up the bags from where he’d dropped them on the floor. “Yeah, I’ll do it now. And I promise not to even text Erik until the day after tomorrow.” Scuffing his shoe on the floor, he whispered, “Today has been awesome.”

Shocked, Neil looked properly into Nicky’s face and saw him on the edge of tears.

“I know I can be a bit much sometimes, so you taking me out shopping today, and spending time with me… it means a lot.”

Sniffing a bit, Nicky rubbed his face on the edge of his black t-shirt.

He knew the team needed to spend more time together, but before today, he had no idea how much.

“Nicky, look at me,” he said, taking Nicky’s hands, “You are a part of this team for a reason, and we want you here. You hear me? We want _you_. You are an awesome teammate, a badass fighter in battles, and honestly if you weren’t here, this place would be as quiet as a museum. You liven up any space you’re in, and, yeah,” Neil said, watching the tears run down Nicky’s face, clearing his throat, “I’m glad you’re my friend.”

With those words, he had an arm full of one very teary, happy Nicky. Honestly, he could feel himself getting a bit misty eyed as well – emotions suck, ok?

“You are such a good friend, Neil!” he gushed, wrapping his legs and arms around Neil’s purple jumper-clad body, gripping as tight as he was able.

Before Neil could properly comprehend the situation he had found himself him, Nicky had let go, a bright smile on his face, that Neil could tell was more heartfelt than it usually was.

“I’m going to wrap these jumpers now!” he said, bounding off to his room.

Neil smiled and huffed good-naturedly to himself, making his way to the kitchen, not before he saw Renee disappearing around a corner with a happy, proud-looking smile on her face.

It’s insane how much one’s viewpoint can change in a day, and how much more that smile from his leader means today.

Taking a deep breathe and ridding himself of his jumper, Neil took a look around his kitchen (technically it’s everyone’s kitchen, but since he’s the only one that actually uses it on occasion, Neil claimed it), wondering what he can get started on tonight.

While he was peeling walnuts, Neil started thinking. He’s talked to Renee, Kevin was on board, Nicky was so excited it was a wonder he hadn’t burst… but there’s still Andrew. Neil had spent a fair bit of time over the day, thinking about how to get their very own portal-jumper involved in the festivities.

Neil knows how much Andrew doesn’t like doing pointless things, about which he will undoubtedly see Christmas as being: pointless. And Neil can see it from his perspective – what’s the point of putting up a tree and sitting around all day… but Neil had a bit of a realisation over the course of the day – that simply being happy for one day is reason enough.

Being around friends and dedicating one day to no work, just family… it’s enough to warrant the effort.

 

Neil was sitting on the sofa, thinking about what to say to convince Andrew to play along, to join in, when he saw him appear on the balcony.

Think of the devil, and he shall appear.. wasn’t that how the saying goes. Something like that.

Watching the smoke pass through Andrew’s lips, Neil straightened up in his seat.

The fact of the matter is, Neil can speculate all he wants about how to persuade his teammate into joining in tomorrow, but… Nicky was right. If he wanted this team, _all_ of this team to spend time together… all he can do is ask.

Standing up, he started walking towards him, all day he’s been assuming what Andrew is thinking, what he will do. But, not once has he simply asked Andrew to join them tomorrow.

His feelings aside, Andrew is a part of this team for a reason – Renee would never have allowed him to stay if all he had was his superpowers. There’s something inside him, a spark under all that apathy, _Neil knows it_.

Maybe, bluntness was the way forward.

Stepping outside, he regretted taking off his jumper. Never mind. Only shivering slightly, Neil floated over to land next to Andrew’s side. For some reason, he has always felt more comfortable using his powers around the man next to him.

Hopefully it meant something.

Leaning against the rail, Neil started speaking.

“If you would feel comfortable, I would really love it if you joined in tomorrow. I’ve set things up for us to have a Christmas day, I know it’s only the 23rd, but I figured it’s close enough, right? It can be a day just for us.” Clearing his throat, “For the team.”

After Andrew took his next drag, he let his arm rest on the railing, pressed up against Neil’s. He still hadn’t said anything yet. Figuring that was as close to a response as he would get tonight, Neil took it as a positive. Sometimes Andrew doesn’t speak, or doesn’t speak much. And honestly? That’s okay… more than okay. They all have their coping mechanisms for what life had given them.

Maybe Andrew had a harder life than most, maybe one day Andrew would share with him some of his past.

…Maybe Neil could take the first step and give up some of his secrets.

He’s as far away from his birthplace as he could get, and no-one has come looking for him yet. Maybe, he should relax his iron-tight hold on his past.

It is a two-way street, after all.

Looking up at the stars, Neil began…

“Where I come from… it wasn’t a good place.” He could feel Andrew’s heavy gaze on him like a blanket, and suddenly his shivers stopped being due to the cold weather.

“In fact, it was god-awful. My father used me as target practise whenever he felt the need – when he was in a ‘good’ mood,” he sarcastically with air quotes, “when he was in a bad mood, when he was bored and needed something to blunt his knives on.”

He pressed closer into Andrew’s arm, needing the comfort of Andrew’s solid presence, and surprisingly (or not), he allowed it.

“My mother wasn’t any help. She was one of those mother’s that would just stand there, you know? Just wait for it to be over, never trying to save me, and then would whisper to me that I was a ‘good boy’ and how she would take us away soon. How we could run _soon_.

“It wasn’t soon enough for me.

“So, I ran.”

He could feel Andrew’s shadows curl protectively around them, and even that vague sense of _Andrew_ had Neil carry on talking. Even though it was hard, he wanted to carry on.

“I stole something and I ran.”

“I don’t know how you got your shadows, whether they have been a part of you forever, but I haven’t always had these green eyes.”

Turning to look at Andrew, he could almost feel the space between them as a living thing. He could see the green-fire of his own eyes reflected in Andrew’s.

Letting out a lungful of air he didn’t realise he was holding in, he looked back up to the stars.

“It was something that my father always had guarded. All I could ever see was a glowing green light, shining from under a locked door.”

With a smirk, he said, “I was always overly curious, but it hasn’t killed me yet.”

“Anyways, it turned me into this… gave me a fire under my skin and the ability to fly…  to fly away and never return.”

“He sent people after me, of course, chased me across half the cosmos, but after a time, I don’t know how long, I stopped feeling like a watched bug. I guess I outran them.”

“Then I stumbled on this little place and found Renee… and you.”

“Well, I should say that Renee found me," he said with a chuckle. "Maybe it’s one of her superpowers, finding lost causes and guiding them into actual people who can stand on their own two feet.”

Seeing an uptick at the edge of Andrew’s mouth, he thought he might agree as well. Renee truly was a one of a kind… they all were. That’s why they were here.

“I don’t need to know your story. You aren’t obligated in any way to tell it to me or anyone else.”

He tipped his head back down and found Andrew a lot closer, or maybe he just seemed closer. He could feel the fire inside him blazing hotter, and if the increased writhing of Andrew’s shadows was any indication, he could feel that too.

“Just know,” Neil breathed, “that I’m here, and want to know as much of you as you’ll let me.”

The cool wind around them couldn’t touch them, nothing could touch them. All Neil was aware of at that moment was Andrew’s lips, and the way they started moving.

“I’m not a nice man, Neil” Andrew murmured, tracing his finger down Neil’s check and down over his neck, moving to grasp at his neck.

The firm pressure was pure bliss against the raging inside him.

“Oh, Andrew,” Neil whispered, bringing his lips to hover over Andrew’s ear, “No matter what you think, I’m not actually an idiot,” he said, slowly pressing his body closer. “I don’t want a nice man.”

At this, Andrew took Neil’s earlobe into his mouth and bit, hard.

Neil tipped his head back and laughed, the sound echoing off the two walls either side of them, spilling into the darkness below them.

“I’ve realised that I have been stagnant for a while now, away from my old family, but not accepting my new one,” Neil said, leaning his forehead on Andrew’s.

“And today, I started to. I’m trying to be better. To use my head and if I want something to happen… do something about it.”

Flicking his eyes up at Andrew, he took a deep breath.

“So, Andrew, I like you.”

Simple, easy as breathing, those three little words. They had such weight, but in the end, it was so utterly effortless to set them free.

“I want something to grow between us, I want something romantic, because I dream of kissing you under the stars and tasting the smoke on your tongue.

“But, more than that, I want to _know you_.

"I want to know what your favourite colour is and what you do to relax. I want to know you’re darkest secret and never tell it to another soul. I want you to-”

Neil choked himself off, but just having Andrew right there, in front of him, his expression as open as Neil’s ever seen it, Neil continued.

“We have a spark between us, one that could grow into something beautiful. But we have to trust each other. I want you to trust me, not just when we’re in fights. But with your heart.”

Realising what he’s said, he let out a self-deprecating laugh and stepped back,

“I’m being corny, I know-”

“No.”

Blinking, Neil looked up at Andrew, who had let Neil step back and have his space, but grabbed hold of the edge of his t-shirt.

“You’re right,” he said, breath coming out his mouth as a cloud even though his cigarette had been abandoned long before.

“There is something between us,” he said through clenched teeth. Neil had to bite his lip not to let out a laugh he's sure would sound strangled – Andrew was as emotionally stunted as he was, but at least he was trying.

He was trying… Andrew had actually opened up about his feelings. Wasn’t this what Neil had been waiting for?

Letting a grin spread across his face, Neil sidled up to Andrew, slowly taking a handful of the corner of Andrew’s jumper. When he allowed it, Neil felt a pulse of heat spread through him.

Yeah, this might actually work between them…

 

 

In the end, everything worked out perfectly. It was a day they would all remember for a very long time. And all it took was a bit of effort on Neil’s part – to start being active in his group of misfits and open his heart a little.

Neil cooked like he’d never cooked before – he had a turkey, every vegetable he could think of, and butter for days (there’s nothing worse than watery mash). Every surface was full and everyone in the team was roped into helping prepare their feast. Laughter rang out and everyone had fun – Nicky started a food fight with bits of carrot peel. And instead of anyone getting angry, they laughed – even Kevin joined in.

The presents Neil and Nicky had bought the previous day were handed out and everyone opened them with glee – ripping the wrapping paper off the soft presents.

The look on their faces when they found the ugliest, sparkliest Christmas jumpers, probably in the world, was utterly delightful. Luckily, Neil anticipated this, so Nicky was there taking pictures of the whole event, cackling as he did it.

Raising an eyebrow, Andrew looked at Neil, like _are you serious with this?_ And yes, yes Neil was extremely serious. But, as Nicky predicted, all he had to do was ask, and let everyone know that they didn’t _have_ to put on the jumpers. And suddenly he was surrounded by glittery, hand-knitted jumper-clad teammates, all of them smiling to some degree.

(And Neil would never admit how much seeing Andrew cut thumb holes in his jumper made his heart sing - it was too adorable!).

Jeremy brought over the most spectacular light display he’d ever seen – all the lights were matte to help with eye-strain inside the house, but they were no less beautiful and vibrant for it. Jeremy really outdid himself with this one… he’s a real genius, this kid. They were lucky to find him.

Kevin brought the tree into the living room, and they all took turns decorating it – Neil and Andrew cheated, flying and using their portals to reach the top of the tree, but nobody seemed to mind.

...Someone put a sprig of mistletoe on the top of one of the doors from the kitchen, and when the others were busy arranging more of Jeremy’s lights onto the tree, Neil and Andrew shared a quiet, beautiful, first kiss. It was perfect.

Of course, nothing lasts forever, and Nicky burst through to let them know they were running low on Christmas biscuits and they needed more. Stat. Grabbing Neil’s hand, and lacing their fingers together, they took a tray through and joined back in with the festivities. No one commented on their hand holding, or either of their secret smiles.

Sometimes Andrew had to take a break and step outside, but Neil loved him even more for it. He doesn’t ever want to change Andrew, and he knows that Andrew can’t be in social situations for too long. And that Andrew is taking a break and then returning to them, well, Neil couldn’t really ask for more.

As the evening wound down, and Renee packed away their game of Cluedo, Andrew leaned over and whispered in Neil’s ear.

“So, was today as good as you were hoping for?”

Neil looked around at his family of choice. Everyone was piled on their massive sofa, happy with sleepy smiles, watching Arthur Christmas on their big TV. Nicky was surreptitiously texting his new friend, Erik, Kevin was snuggled into Renee’s side, with Jeremy snuggled in to him. Neil had his leg pressed warmly against Andrew’s, with a mug of hot chocolate in his hand, and he smiled.

“Yeah,” he said, hooking his pinky finger into Andrew’s, “It was perfect.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback and comments are welcome! 
> 
> Thanks again to [Atlas](https://mr-im-fine.tumblr.com/post/183351175427/had-the-pleasure-of-working-with) for their amazing art!


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